Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Science

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what (a) assessment criteria and (b) key outputs and performance indicators have been set for (i) the Eight Great Technologies and (ii) the Grand Challenges programme announced on 17 December 2014.

Joseph Johnson: The main assessment criteria for deciding priorities for the list of 8 Great Technologies were:   a. The technology has to be an important area of scientific advance; b. Britain has to have a distinctive capability in this area; and, c. the technology should have reached the stage where identifiable commercial opportunities are emerging.   These criteria were published, together with additional evidence and analysis, in the pamphlet accompanying David Willetts’ speech of the 24th of January 2013 [Eight Great Technologies, David Willetts, Policy Exchange 2013]:   Projects and programmes under the 8 Great Technologies banner are subject to their own evaluation processes as appropriate.   The Grand Challenges assessment criteria were published as part of a public consultation document in May 2014 (these being: excellence, affordability, impact, skills and leverage). Along with the published consultation criteria, additional criteria such as value for money and deliverability are used to assess Grand Challenge projects.